My mom always tells me I was born in the wrong decade — and I totally agree. Ever since I was a teen, I've been completely obsessed with stars from the past, spending most of my time trying to learn more about all of my favorites.
Unfortunately, that can lead to discovering some not-so-fun facts about their lives before they became famous. Most tried to keep their tragic circumstances hidden from the public eye, but that's pretty much impossible to achieve in this day and age of sifting through every possible nook and cranny in a celeb's life.
That seems especially true when it comes to the emotional lives of musicians. Look into the past of pretty much any of the truly remarkable performers who touched our hearts over the decades and you'll likely find pain fueling their passion for success and finally finding happiness.
Did we miss one of your favorite singers? Which of these stories took you by surprise? Let us know in the comments and SHARE with your friends!
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1. Bobby Darin
Not only did the charming crooner suffer a lifelong and ultimately fatal heart condition brought on from a particularly bad case of rheumatic fever as a child, but he spent most of his life believing his mother was his sister only to be devastated with the truth at 32 years old.
2. Ella Fitzgerald
The jazz lady's parents were unwed when she was born and separated soon after. At age 15, her mother died from injuries in a serious car accident and Fitzgerald was forced to stay with her stepfather, who was rumored to be abusive, before an aunt stepped in to take her away.
3. Ray Charles
Charles' mother was a teenage orphan who became pregnant out of wedlock with her employer, causing a major scandal in 1930. After the family bounced back from that, they were struck again when he was 5 years old and his younger brother died at the age of 4 after drowning in a laundry tub.
4. Johnny Cash
The Man in Black suffered the loss of his older brother, Jack, when Cash was just 12 years old in a horrific accident when a whirling head saw at the mill he worked at nearly severed him in half. He lived for about a week before passing away, something Cash never really got over.
5. Hank Williams
There are several stories about the country icon's issues with alcohol and substance abuse, but it all likely stemmed from being born with spina bifida occulta, a spinal condition that caused him to endure chronic pain throughout his life.
6. Patsy Cline
Her ability to perform such heartbreaking vocals might have been inspired by her father abandoning the family when she was still a teenager. She was forced to drop out of school and find a job as a soda jerk and waitress at just 15.
7. Aretha Franklin
Her parents had a tumultuous relationship due to her father's wandering ways. Their marriage ultimately ended when Franklin was 6, when her mother moved away with her older brother but remained in touch until passing away just four years later.
8. Little Richard
The soulful singer was often bullied for his effeminate appearance growing up, something he used to his benefit as an entertainer, especially when it came to his unusual gait. It wasn't a choice, though, but rather the result of one leg being slightly shorter than the other likely from a complication at birth.
9. Jackie Wilson
Long before he became an R&B sensation, Wilson's life was peppered with brushes with the law, including being sent to two juvenile detention centers before age 15, and a shotgun wedding at 17 after getting an estimated 10 women pregnant before the father of one forced him into marriage.
Despite all the sadness these stars endured, we will always be able to find joy in listening to their timeless songs and remembering their happier times.
Be sure to SHARE these shocking revelations with all your music-loving friends!
